Long-handled wrench

ABSTRACT

A wrench having long operating handles, so necessary manipulation can be effected in restricted areas by a person unable to enter such areas. Relatively long handles have corresponding ends pivotally attached to opposite ends, respectively, of a rigid wrench structure provided with jaws at one end of an activating arm portion. Thus the wrench may be held in place by one of the handles and operated by the other. The handles may be provided with interlocking means adjacent to their free ends for enabling manipulation thereof with only one hand.

United States Patent Harris [451 Sept. 19, 1972 [54] LONG-HANDLED WRENCH [72] Joseph Warren I-Iarrls, Vernal, Utah [73] Assignee: C. R. Industries, Vernal, Utah [22] Filed: Nov. 16, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 89,757

Inventor:

US. Cl. ..8l/177 A Int. Cl. ..B25b 13/00, 325g 1/00, B25b 13/10 Field of Search ..8l/53.l, 177, 177 PP References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,875,658 3/1959 Benjamin ..81/63 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 486,757 11/1929 Germany OTHER PUBLICATIONS The Washington Post, March 10, 1930 Primary Examiner.lames L. Jones, Jr. Attorney-Mallinckrodt & Comaby [57] ABSTRACT 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LONG-HANDLE!) WRENCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field The invention is in the field of wrenches for special situations, particularly when long reaches are necessary through restricted passages to gain'access to the work.

2. State of the Art Many types. of wrenches have been developed for special purposes, including the performance of work in areas difficult of access. Pivotal attachment of a wrench head to one end of an operating handle, with means for locking the head in any given position of ad'- justment, is common.

OBJECTIVE In the making of the present invention, it was a principal objective to provide a wrench with a long reach that can be easily applied to work locatedat a distance from the user and effectively operated from such distance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accomplishing the foregoing objective, a pair of elongate handles are pivotally attached to opposite ends of a wrench structure having jaws providing a wrench-head at and rigid with one end of an activating arm. The arm acts as a lever for exerting torque on a nut, pipe union, or other device engaged by the jaws. The handle attached to the head end of the wrench structure serves as a convenient means for holding'the wrench in engagementwith the device .to be turned or held against turning, while the handle attached to the opposite end of thearm is used to exert the necessary torque. Both handles can be manipulated to properly orient the head of the wrench structure for work engagement and for holding the wrench structure in place during tightening or loosening of the device concerned. It is preferred to'equip the tool with means for locking the wrench head in'any given position of adjustment so it can be held and manipulated with one hand if and when desired. Such means preferably take the form of pins projecting from the respective handles toward the opposing handles and series of receiving recesses extending longitudinally of such handles along their ends that are remote from the wrench structure, for receiving the respective pins.

THE DRAWING A long-handled wrench representing the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. I is a pictorial view showing the wrench per se;

FIG. 2, a fragmentary view in vertical section through a water-meter installation in a deep, accessrestricted, below-ground-level housing wherein the wrench is being manipulated by both hands of auser above ground and with respect to a pipe union connecting the meter into a water supply line;

FIG. 3, a fragmentary view in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and showing the lower part of the tool of FIG. 1 in side elevation; and

FIG. 4, a fragmentary view in side elevation of the upper end portions of the tool handles interlocked so the tool can be manipulated with only one hand, the

view being partly in vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and drawn to a larger scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT In the illustrated form of the wrench of the invention, a wrench structure 10 has a pair of elongate handles 11 andl2- pivotally attached to respectively opposite ends thereof as by means of pivot pins 13 and 14.

ln'this instance, the wrench structure is of unitary end-wrench configuration having jaws 10a and 10b formed rigidly at one end of an activating arm 10c and extending substantially perpendicularly from such arm to provide a wrench head 10d. The longitudinal areas of such jaws, it should be noted, are in this instance substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the activating arm. Although this is an especially advantageous and preferred configuration for the wrench structure 10, adapting it for most uses, other configurations are feasible and may be adopted for special situations. Also, although the wrench structure is unitary and of fixed size as shown, the jaw 10b thereof may be made adjustable with respect to the other jaw 10a thereof in the well-known manner of a monkey wrench.

From the standpoint of maneuverability, it is advantageous and preferred that the handles 11 and 12 be attached directly to respective protuberances We and l0fthat extend backwardly from the wrench structure within the plane and at opposite ends thereof.

The handles 11- and 12 are advantageously bifurcated, as at 110 and 12a, attheir ends that connect with the wrench structure, so as to receive and embrace the protuberances We and 10f, respectively. Forthe sake of compactness and maneuverability, it is advantageous and preferred that such bifurcated end portions Ila and 12a of the handles be angularly related to the remaining length of such handles, with the interiors of the. angles confronting each other, as illustrated, see particularly FIG. 3. Relatively short crossbars 11b and 12b on the free ends of the handles provide effective hand-holds for facilitating manipulation as indicated in FIG. 2.

The wrench of the invention can be used in a variety of situations impossible, for conventional wrenches, but is especially useful for the installation and removal of meters installed below ground. As shown in FIG. 2, a water meter 15 is installed between two sections 16 and 17 of a water supply line by means of pipe unions l8 and 19. Both installation and removal of the meter require the application of torque to the unions to screw them tightly or to unscrew them. This is ordinarily a particularly difiicult task considering the depth and narrow confines of the customary housing 20, which provides only limited access through normally covered manhole 21 at the top of the housing. However, the task is made simple by useof the present long-handled wrench.

By manipulation of the wrench structure 10 remotely from above manhole 21, the jaws of wrench head 10d are easily fitted over diametrically opposite facets of one of the polygonally configurated pipe unions l8 and 19, as indicated. Then, by holding such wrench head in place by means of one hand on one handle, here the handle 11, activating arm is forced by means of the other hand on the other handle, 12, to turn the wrench.

head in the proper direction for exerting the desired torque on the engaged pipe union.

It is often convenient to be able to manipulate the wrench with one hand. For this purpose, the handles are interlocked to establish a fixed position for the wrench structure relative to the handles. A convenient and effective locking means for the handles, providing several positions of adjustment for the wrench structure relative to the handles, comprises pins 22 projecting from the crossbars of the respective handles in mutually confronting relationship, and longitudinally extending, mutually confronting series of receiving recesses 23 for the respective pins 22. Such series are provided along the free end portions of handles 1 l and 12 remote from wrench structure and immediately below crossbars 1 1b and 12b.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect to a certain preferred form thereof, it is to be understood that many variations are possible without departing from the inventive concepts particularly pointed out .in the claims.

I claim: I

1. A wrench, comprising in combination:

a wrench head;

an actuating arm having one end thereof rigidly connected to said wrench head and adapted to apply torque to the head;

a pair of elongate handles pivotally attached respectively to said head and to the opposite end of the actuating arm; and

means for locking the handles together in various fixed, non-pivotal positions relative to each other.

2. A wrench as set forth in claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises a plurality of spaced-apart pins projecting from a longitudinal surface of one handle and a plurality of cooperating, spaced-apart receiving orifices extending along a longitudinal surface of the other handle, both longitudinal surfaces being in mutually confronting relationship.

II i t 

1. A wrench, comprising in combination: a wrench head; an actuating arm having one end thereof rigidly connected to said wrench head and adapted to apply torque to the head; a pair of elongate handles pivotally attached respectively to said head and to the opposite end of the actuating arm; and means for locking the handles together in various fixed, nonpivotal positions relative to each other.
 2. A wrench as set forth in claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises a plurality of spaced-apart pins projecting from a longitudinal surface of one handle and a plurality of cooperating, spaced-apart receiving orifices extending along a longitudinal surface of the other handle, both longitudinal surfaces being in mutually confronting relationship. 